Grants for Homeless Youth Programs 2026: RHY and More

3 Federal RHY Programs and Who They Serve

FYSB splits RHY funding into 3 programs, each for a different stage of a young person's homelessness.

Totals are USAspending.gov (opens in a new tab) obligations by Assistance Listing number.

Basic Center Program

According to FYSB's Basic Center Program page (opens in a new tab), the program helps community-based groups meet the immediate needs of runaway and homeless youth under 18 and tries to reunite them with family or find another safe placement. Services include up to 21 days of shelter, food, clothing and medical care, counseling, crisis intervention, recreation and aftercare.

Transitional Living Program and Maternity Group Homes

According to the Transitional Living Program page on the FYSB site (opens in a new tab), youth must be 16 to 22 to enter. Housing can be host-family homes, group homes, maternity group homes or supervised apartments. The fact sheet adds that maternity group homes serve pregnant and parenting youth and add parenting support.

Street Outreach Program

The Street Outreach Program page (opens in a new tab) describes outreach workers building relationships with young people on the street, with the goal of preventing sexual exploitation and abuse. Services include street-based education, access to emergency shelter, survival aid, counseling, crisis intervention and follow-up.

Award Cycles Run 3 to 5 Years

According to the RHY program fact sheet, Basic Center and Street Outreach grants are awarded annually in 3-year cycles, and Transitional Living and Maternity Group Home grants are awarded every 3 to 5 years in 5-year cycles.

That timing shapes everything:

1. Missing a competition can mean years of waiting. If a nearby agency holds the grant for your area, your next real chance may be years away.
2. Losing a renewal is the biggest risk. A shelter funded mostly by one RHY award can lose a large share of its budget overnight. Build foundation and local support before the renewal year.
3. Start local if you're new. A federal application is easier to write once you can show beds filled, youth served and exits to stable housing. Local foundation, United Way and city or county money can carry the first years.

The FY2025 Street Outreach total on USAspending.gov (opens in a new tab) fell to $10.27 million from $18.55 million the year before. Don't read one year's drop as a trend; check the current notice on Grants.gov (opens in a new tab) when it posts.

Which Foundations Fund Youth Shelters: What 990-PF Filings Show

Every private foundation reports its grants on IRS Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab). These tax year 2025 gifts went to youth shelters, transitional living and street-involved youth:

Three patterns stand out. Capital gifts (a campus, a roof) are common, because foundations like funding a building a federal grant won't cover. Bank and bank-managed trusts appear twice, so ask your local bank's foundation. And a cosmetics company's foundation, Thrive Causemetics, funded street-involved youth in New York, so don't rule out consumer brands with a giving program.

Specifically, the CL Werner Foundation reported $1,513,283 across 28 youth grants in Nebraska with a $15,475 median and says it takes requests. That's the kind of local funder profile to look for in your own state.

Human services grants by state

Get youth shelter funders for your state

The Grantsights human services funder list gives a free state preview, with funders that accept requests first and their recent grantees beside them. Search it for shelters, children's homes and youth agencies in your county. Paying $29 once unlocks every state, and the $99 yearly plan includes the youth list too, which matters because many youth shelter gifts are tagged to youth instead of human services. Either purchase can be refunded within 30 days.

How Youth Programs Build Support Beyond RHY

A youth shelter that relies on one 3-year or 5-year federal award has to plan for the year it doesn't win. These 4 local sources come up again and again in youth shelter budgets.

County and state child welfare money

Youth under 18 in a shelter often touch the child welfare system. Ask your county human services agency whether it pays for shelter beds, respite or family mediation by contract. A per-bed contract isn't a grant, but it can steady a budget that swings with federal cycles. Programs that also serve youth aging out of care can compare notes with grants for foster care programs, since the same county staff often handle both.

School district partners

Every school district has a homeless education liaison under the McKinney-Vento Act. Those liaisons identify students without stable housing and can refer them to your program. A written referral agreement shows funders that your program is part of the local system, not working alone. The McKinney-Vento homeless education grants guide explains how that school money flows.

Health and mental health funders

Counseling, substance use treatment and health care are part of every RHY program's service list. Health foundations and hospital community benefit programs may fund those pieces when they won't fund shelter beds. Write a separate request for the counseling line and name the clinical partner. For counseling-specific funders, see youth mental health grants.

Individual donors and faith groups

Congregations and service clubs can adopt a shelter for meals, holiday gifts or move-out kits. Older youth with jobs may also qualify for free tax filing at a nearby Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site, which can return refunds they'd otherwise miss; grants for free tax preparation programs explains how those sites are funded if you want to host one. These gifts are small, but they're flexible and they build the volunteer base funders like to see.

One example of reading a funder's history

For example, one shelter in Omaha, Youth Emergency Services, received $250,000 from the CL Werner Foundation for a campus capital project. Before you ask a funder like that, check its 990-PF for the size and purpose of past youth gifts. The how to read a 990-PF guide shows where those lines sit on the form.

5 Budget Areas and Their Best Funders

Here's an illustrative map of who tends to fund each area. It's a planning aid, not award data.

What FYSB Doesn't Tell You About Homeless Youth Funding

These 4 points come from reading the FYSB pages, the fact sheet and 990-PF filings together.

1. Federal money is a cycle, not a guarantee. With 3-year and 5-year awards, a program can go years without a chance to apply. Plan for that gap.
2. Foundations fund what RHY doesn't. Buildings, vans and new pilot programs show up in 990-PF filings far more than staff salaries do.
3. The data splits youth shelters across causes. Some gifts to youth shelters are tagged youth, others human services. Search both.
4. Age limits shape your funders. A Basic Center shelter serves youth under 18; transitional living serves 16 to under 22. Write separate requests for each age group, because funders often care about one.

Grantsights' honest take: a youth program's strongest position is one RHY award plus 10 or more local funders who each know the program well enough to step up if federal money lapses.

Common Mistakes in Homeless Youth Grant Requests

Check each proposal for these 5 problems.

• Relying on one federal award. A common mistake. Losing a renewal can close beds.
• Mixing age groups. Funders and federal rules treat minors and young adults differently. Be clear who you serve.
• No family reunification plan. For Basic Center work, reunification or a safe placement is part of the goal.
• Vague outcomes. Count nights of shelter, exits to stable housing, school enrollment and follow-up contacts.
• Missing federal registration. RHY applicants need a Unique Entity ID; the SAM.gov registration guide explains how to get one.

A 12-Month Youth Program Funding Calendar

The Grantsights grant database lists open federal and state notices, including youth and housing programs.

Related Guides for Youth and Housing Programs

Adult and family shelters should read grants for homeless shelters and grants for homelessness prevention. Programs for youth leaving foster care share funders with grants for foster care programs. For students experiencing homelessness, the McKinney-Vento homeless education grants guide covers school-based help, and youth mental health grants covers counseling funders.

FAQ: Common Questions

What federal grants fund runaway and homeless youth programs? Basic Center, Transitional Living and Street Outreach.

How long can a Basic Center Program shelter keep a young person? Up to 21 days.

How often do RHY grants open? In 3-year or 5-year cycles, depending on the program.

Do private foundations fund youth shelters? Yes, especially buildings and new programs.

What's a typical foundation grant for human services? Medians of $5,000 to $9,000 in the states shown.

Sources

• FYSB: Runaway and Homeless Youth (opens in a new tab)
• FYSB: Basic Center Program (opens in a new tab)
• FYSB: Transitional Living Program (opens in a new tab)
• FYSB: Street Outreach Program (opens in a new tab)
• FYSB: Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab)
• IRS: About Form 990-PF (opens in a new tab)
• USAspending.gov award search (opens in a new tab)